Hat-sizing machine



(No Model.)

W. SIMMONDS n 0.1LINEGAR..

HAT SIZ-ING MACHINE.

Patented Nov."l7,`l891,

N0. 71B en L P u l' e fw i W I l U "Uuml i l I @L "New e mw m y e e i JQ.

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MAL/,4M fMMa/vas CHA/w [s M5645 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM SIMMONDS AND CHARLES LINEGAR, OF YONKERS, NEV YORK.

HAT-SIZING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,339, dated November17, 1891.

Application filed J' anuary 17, 1891. Serial No. 37 8,096. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM SIMMoNDs,

'of Yonkers, in the countyof Vestchester and State of New York, andCHARLES LINEGAR, of Yonkers, in the county of l/Vestchester and State ofNew York, both citizens of the United States,` jointly have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Hat-Sinin g Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

- Our invention relates to that class of machines in which a number ofhats in a soft condition and before the formation of their brims arewrapped in a cloth and passed be` 'work progresses and to regulate theirpressure on the work by springs or weights adjustable by hand.

One of the principal objects of our invention is to start with anadjustable normal pressure, the rolls being at a definite distanceapart, and gradually automatically to dimin-l ish such distance as theoperation progresses. Our improvements consist 1n certain novelconstructions, organizations, and comblnations of instrumentalitieshereinafter claimed,

which not only enable us to attain this object, but to produce a cheap,simple, and effective machine.

The accompanying drawings show so much of a three-roll hat-sizingmachine embodying all our improvements as is necessary to illustratetheir subj ect-matter. Some of these improvements may, however, berusedwithout the others and in machines differing within certain limits intheir details of construction from those herein shown. Unless otherwiseindicated, the parts are of usual construction.

Figure l represents a vertical central longitudinal section through themachine on the line 2 2 of Fig. 2, which is a front elevation.A

That end of the -machine at which the operator stands we term the feedor frontend, and the opposite the rear7 end. That side on the right ofthe operator facing the machine we call the right side, and the oppositethe left forwardvend. `"A pressure-roll D is mounted' in bearings in aframe D', swinging in a verticalplane around a rock-shaft or pivot d onthe rear of the main frame. The pressureroll D is shown as lying aboveand between the sizing-rolls C C'. This pressure-roll D, being mountedin the yielding frame D', is free to rise and fall relatively to thefixed rolls. The normal pressure of this yielding rollD is regulated byan adjustable tension device, such as a spring or weight. The drawingsshow this device as consisting of an arm cl2,

projecting from the rear of the frame, onf

which arm an adjustable weight Dgslides, the pressure it exerts thusdepending on its distance from its pivot d. The rolls may be providedwith ns, lags,.or ribs of variousforms properly to work the hats. XVeprefer short, straight, central ribs c, parallel with the axis, asshown, the ends of each of these ribs being overlapped by ribs c', alsoparallel to the, axes of the rolls. Links c e' are shown on each side ofthe machine as pivoted to the swinging pressure-roll frame D at theirupper ends, their opposite ones being linked to corresponding side barsE E', rocking on piv-I ots c2 on the frame and connected bya crossbarE2, thus constituting a pressure-frame which may be controlled by thefoot of the operator. A rod F is pivoted to the table and has aforwardly-projecting arm f, which au tomatically engages with thecross-piece E2 when the pressure-frame is fully depressed. This rodconstitutes a stop to hold the roll D in its elevated position and alsoto hold the automatic stop mechanism or roll-lowering devices out ofoperation, as will be hereinafter described.

An intermediate cross-rod G on the pressure-frame carries a swinging armG', having a polygonal socket g, in which the correspondingly-shapedlower end -of a screw-spindle g' its. The rounded screw part of this rodworks in a corrosponding socket in a hub H, turning in bearings in abracket H', screwed to the under side of the table and carryingaratchet-wheel 7L on its upper end, which ratchet-wheel is actuated by apawl c' on a IOO rocking lever l, actuated by a pitman t" andcrank-wheel I on a shaft J. A latch-lever K, rocking on a pivot 7.: andconnected by a link 7o with the pressure-frame, serves to free the pawlfrom the ratchet-wheel at the proper time. When thus free, the screwspindle g' can be raised or lowered by turning it in its bearings bymeans of gears m m', actuated by a hand-crank M. A spring k2 normallyholds the latch-lever out of contact with the pawl, and a loop k3 on thelink 7c allows the pressure-frame to rise without affecting the latch,which only operates when the pressureframe is depressed to its fullextent. The organization, it will be observed, is such that when thecross-piece E2 is not held down by the foot of the operator or by thestop F the weight of the presser-roll frame is sufticien t to overcomethat of the side bars E E and to cause the presser-roll to fall, andthat when the spindle gis screwed up it merely removes the pressure thatholds these side bars down and permits them to rise when actuated by theweight of the supplementary or presser frame.

The various parts may be driven in wellknown ways. A belt or chain jfrom a pulley N is shown as driving a corresponding pulley J on thecrank-shaft J. The roll C is also driven from the pulley N by a belt nin a similar way, and another belt n from this roll drives its companionroll C. The pulley C ,by means of a chain n', drives an idler N', and achain from this pulley drives the yielding or pressure roll D. The rollsare caused to revolve in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The operation of our improved apparatus will readilybe understood fromthe foregoing description.

The hats in usual condition are fed in between the fixed rolls C C andthe pressureroll D, the adjacent surfaces of which rolls all turn in thesame direction from front to rear, as shown by the arrows, Fig. l, andthe hats are felted or lfulled, as usual. The ratchetwheel turns the hubstep by step correspondin gly with the revolution of the rolls, and thusscrews the spindle g up into the hub. This permits the front part of thepressure-frame E to rise and allows the pressure-roll D to descendaccordingly. lVhen the spindle ghas risen to its full extent, the pawlis lifted by depressing the front part of the pressureframe and the stopF allowed to engage with the cross-bar E. The ratchet-wheel and hub aretheir turned backward by the gears m m and hand-crank M. The depressionof the pressure-frame -also lifts the pressure-roll D for the insertionot a new batch ot" hats to be treated. lVhen ready to start the machineagain, the stop F is disengaged by the foot of the operator. lVhen theattendant leaves the machine, he depresses the pressure-frame, allowst-he stop F to engage with the bar E2, and the descent of the roll D isdelayed until he returns. By forcing the'stop Fout of enl gagement withthe pressure-frame the gradual descent of the roll D again takes place.

Our improved organization enables the pressure-roll to operate with anadjustable definite pressure and gradually to approximate the, (ixedrolls as the operation progresses, the stop restraining thisapproximation being gradually retracted automatically, as aboveexplained. Meanwhile the pressureroll is free to yield to inequalitiesin the hats operated upon, which it obviously could not do were the stopmechanism rigidly connected with it.

Having thus fully described the construction, organization, andoperation of our improved hat-sizing machine, what we claim therein asnew and as of our own invention l. rlhe combination, substantially ashereinbefore set forth, of 4sizing-rolls, a presserroll movablelaterally relatively to said sizing-rolls, stop mechanism connected withthe presser-roll, and means for actuating this mechanism to permit thepresser-roll to move connected with the pressure-roll for permit ting itto move toward the sizing-roll, but which allows the pressure-roll tomove freely away from the sizing-rolls, and means for actuating the stopmechanism to permit the presser-roll to move gradually toward the sizing-rolls.

The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, ofsizing-rolls, a presserroll, stop mechanism connected with the presserroll, power-driven mechanism for actuating the rolls, and power-drivenmechanism for actuating the stop mechanism to permit the presser-roll tomove gradually toward the sizing-rolls.

4. The combination, substantially as hercinbefore set forth, ofhat-sizing rolls mounted in iixed bearings, a presser-roll movablerelatively to the sizing-rolls, and automatic powerdriven stop mechanismconnected with the presser-roll and which permits it to graduallyapproximate the sizing-roll as the operation progresses.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of an armprovided with a socket, an interlocking screw-spindle movable endwisetherein a rotating hub provided with a screwed socket engaging with thescrewspindle, a ratchet-wheel on the hub, a pawl acting Qn the ratchet,mechanism automatically actuating the pawl to vary the relation of thehub and spindle, and a locking-stop to hold the pressure-frame in itsdesired position.

(l. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, ofhat-sizing rolls, a pressure-frame, a screw-spindle carried by theframe, ahub'rotatin g in fixed bearings and engaging With thescrew-spindle, mechanism for automatically rotating this hub in onedirecJ tion, and separate devices for rotating it in the other.

7. The combination, substantially as'hereinbefore set forth, oflhat-sizing rolls, a pressure-frame, a screw-spindle on this frame, aratchet-Wheel actuating the spindle, a paWl actuating the wheel, a latchfor releasing the pawl, and link connections between the latch andpressure-frame. Y

8. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, ofhat-sizing rolls, a pressure-frame, a ratchet-Wheel, a screw-spindleintermediate the pressure-frame and ratchet- Wheel and constituting astop, a paWl for actuating the ratchet, a latch for releasing the pawl,and mechanism for reversing the rotation of the ratchet-Wheel toreturnthe stop to its normal position.

9. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of fixedhat-sizing rolls, a pressure-roll, a pressure-frame, stop mechanismcontrolling the position of this frame, and

, mechanism simultaneously actuating the rolls sov

